Our Cruisers: 1941 Nash 600 Special Fastback Sedan

In the lead-up to this weekend’s Woodward Dream Cruise, we’re sharing the stories of our own classics. First up is video production editor Tom Adams with his family’s 1941 Nash. My dad found this car in a Detroit garage in 1989. It was completely covered in a cocoon of old quilts, sheets, and blankets. When […]

Car and Driver

Aug 13, 2009

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In the lead-up to this weekend’s Woodward Dream Cruise, we’re sharing the stories of our own classics. First up is video production editor Tom Adams with his family’s 1941 Nash.

My dad found this car in a Detroit garage in 1989. It was completely covered in a cocoon of old quilts, sheets, and blankets. When we unshrouded the mummy, we found clean original paint, a perfect interior, and just 16,000 miles on the odometer. Its tires were flat, but otherwise the car was in excellent condition. It had last rolled down John R in 1965, a year before I was born.

Unbelievably, the tires took and held air. We added a quart of straight 30 Quaker State to the crankcase. The tank and carb were dry, so we added gas to the tank and a splash in the carburetor. The battery was gone so we found a new 6-volt and attached it under the driver’s seat. Then we scraped the sparkplugs and gave it a few squirts of starter fluid. Then a few more squirts. After 20 minutes of squirting and cranking, the engine detonated and started chugging. After we got the choke unstuck, it settled into a smooth purr. My dad drove it home and, aside from an oil change, did nothing to the car for 5 years. We resealed the radiator and replaced the water pump in 1998. A new carb was installed in 2004.

The Nash saw many parades in and around Berkley, Michigan, and was a participant in the very first Woodward Dream Cruise. It’s got 21,000 miles on it now, on the same tires and tubes from 1965. The new carb never quite took, and the Nash became harder to start. It hasn’t turned over in almost 3 years. Mostly it’s been resting in a rented garage. Until yesterday.

My dad is not what you would call mechanically adept, so I offered to get the Nash in working order. When we opened up the rented garage to retrieve it, it was almost like 20 years prior. The tires were flat, the car wouldn’t start, but it was still in great condition. With extra muscle supplied by my brother Carl and friend Dan, we pushed the Nash onto a trailer (Tony Swan’s) and hauled it back to my barn with our long-term Ram.

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Nash built 4147 Special Fastbacks in 1941. It’s a four-door sedan with suicide doors in the rear. Inside, it’s big enough to play lawn darts! This was America’s first mass-produced unibody car, and even though it is huge, it weighs only 2615 pounds. Its 173-cubic-inch inline-six delivers, with some delay, 75 horsepower. Three non-synchromeshed gears require column-shifting finesse and double-clutching. And patience. After I get the carburetor problems sorted, I plan to add electronic ignition so I can drive the Nash longer distances without fear. The paint needs some polishing, and rust is starting to show on the lower edges of the rockers and fenders. Lastly, several of the interior door and window handles have snapped off, so I’ll be looking for original replacements. That should keep me busy.